1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to containers having improved gripping properties and improved strength properties.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Containers with outer surfaces adapted to provide for better gripping by infants and children, are known.
A baby bottle with an outer surface that has been adapted to provide handles that allows infants and children to better grip the bottle, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,203 to Malcolm. The bottle disclosed has at least two sets of handles that are formed integrally with the bottle by a plurality of recesses extending vertically along a substantial length of the bottle. The recesses disclosed have either side walls that converge towards each other as they extend towards a central longitudinal axis of the bottle or side walls that are parallel to each other. The lobe shaped handles resulting from the converging side walls and the rectangular shaped handles resulting from the parallel side walls, allow an infant or child to grip or hold the handles by substantially cupping their hands. This assists infants or children in gripping and holding the adapted cup but does not train an infant or child to grip or hold a commonly used cup. This may create a problem when the infant or child is required to transition to using commonly used cups.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,203 requires the infant or child to substantially cup their hands to maintain a grip of the container. This may create a problem for infants or children who are unwilling or unable to substantially cup their hands to grip the container.
Additionally, the base of the baby bottle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,203 is flat. This may create breakage problem resulting if the container is dropped.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container with an improved shape.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a container that assists an infant or child in transitioning from a cup with handles for full assistance in gripping or holding to a commonly used cup.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a container that allows for better gripping without substantial cupping of an infant or child""s hands.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a container with improved strength.
This and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a container adapted for use by an infant or a child, that has a body having an outer circumference with a center line and an open end with a first diameter, a base, and at least one handle provided on the body. The at least one handle has first and second side walls. The first side wall and the second side wall diverge away from each other, in the direction away from the outer circumference toward the center line. The base has formed therein at least one base recess with the at least one base recess having a diameter less than the first diameter of the open end.